Rev. (Paul) Phong Hoang, SCJ is 32 years old and was born in Hà Tiên, Kiên Giang, Việt Nam. His family came to the United States in 2007 and settled in Houston, Texas. Fr. Paul graduated from the University of Houston in 2015 with a B.S. in Biology. After discerning a vocation to the priesthood and religious life, he professed first vows in August 2018 with the Priests of the Sacred Heart (SCJs) and was ordained a priest on June 1, 2024. Currently, Fr. Paul is part of the SCJ pastoral team serving six parishes in Northwest Mississippi.

Title and synopsis of talk: “Preaching the Word of God in Multiple Languages”
The talk will focus on Fr. Paul’s experiences preaching in mixed parishes in Mississippi. Two of his six parishes have mixed communities, with two-thirds being Hispanic & one-third being Caucasian attendees. The mass and homily at these two parishes are bilingual. They only have one fully Spanish mass at the largest parish, Christ the King, which has the most Latino parishioners. Additionally, he will share his experience preaching in Vietnamese at Saint Martin of Tours parish in Franklin, Wisconsin during his time as a transitional deacon.

Deacon Steve Kramer, D.Min. was ordained in 1994 for the diocese of Rockville Centre, New York and is now incardinated for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. He holds an M.A in Theology from Immaculate Conception Seminary in Huntington, New York and a Doctorate (D.Min.) in Preaching and Communication from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Massachusetts. Since 2014 he has been the Director of Homiletics, Director of Recruitment, and Associate Professor of Pastoral Studies at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology in Hales Corners, Wisconsin. In addition, Deacon Kramer teaches homiletics to the candidates for the Permanent Diaconate Formation program of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Prior to beginning his appointment to SHSST, Steve spent four years as the Director of Pastoral Care for a 138 bed Catholic Nursing Facility (with daily and weekend liturgies) on the East coast. He has extensive experience in patient relations, visitation of the sick, and preaching to congregations that include caregivers, nurses, doctors, and residents/patients. Deacon Steve is a nationally known retreat master and speaker on preaching/communication topics, as well as contributing articles and a quarterly column for The Deacon magazine. He and his wife Geri have been married for forty-six years. They have four grown children and one grandchild all who now live in Southeastern Wisconsin. You can contact Deacon Steve at skramer@shsst.edu.

Title and synopsis of talk: “Preaching a Message of Hope: Homiletic Ideas for Nursing Homes, Assisted Living Facilities, and Hospital Chapel Settings” (with Jana Kramer, see below)
This presentation will address the homiletic and pastoral needs of residents, family members, medical staff, and caregivers of those who are living at nursing homes, hospitals, assisted living, and long-term care facilities.  There are some institutions that have regularly scheduled religious services, and others that contact clergy on an as-needed basis.  Deacon Steve and Jana will share their experiences in long-term care facilities where there have been specific congregations formed by those who have loved ones who need additional care and end-of-life attention.

Ms. Jana Kramer, RN, CHPN earned a B.A. in Psychology from Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, NY and a B.S. in Nursing from Molloy College in Rockville Centre, NY. She has 17 years of experience as a Registered Nurse, working primarily in skilled rehabilitation, long term care, and hospice settings. Jana is passionate about end-of-life care and has held national certification as a Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse (CHPN) since 2017. She currently works as a triage nurse for a home care and hospice company.  For several years she worked at a large Catholic nursing facility on the East coast where daily and Sunday Mass was held.

Title and synopsis of talk: “Preaching a Message of Hope: Homiletic Ideas for Nursing Homes, Assisted Living Facilities, and Hospital Chapel Settings” (with Deacon Steve Kramer, see above)
This presentation will address the homiletic and pastoral needs of residents, family members, medical staff, and caregivers of those who are living at nursing homes, hospitals, assisted living, and long-term care facilities.  There are some institutions that have regularly scheduled religious services, and others that contact clergy on an as-needed basis.  Deacon Steve and Jana will share their experiences in long-term care facilities where there have been specific congregations formed by those who have loved ones who need additional care and end-of-life attention.

Deacon Jim Matthias serves as the Director of Respect Life Ministry and Director of Prison and Jail Ministry for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. He has been actively involved in prison ministry for over 12 years, leading efforts to expand the participation of priests, deacons, and laypeople across 32 facilities within the Archdiocese. His ministry within the prisons focuses on bringing hope, healing, and the Gospel to incarcerated individuals, working closely with correctional staff, volunteers, and inmates. Deacon Jim’s passion for serving the marginalized extends beyond prison walls. In his role as Director of Respect Life Ministry, he helps families and parishes build a culture of life, emphasizing the dignity of every human being, particularly the poor and vulnerable, in imitation of Christ’s ministry. Married to his wife Rhonda for 44 years, they have three sons and four grandchildren. Before his current roles, Deacon Jim worked with Pro-Life Wisconsin and in public housing, assisting the elderly and disabled. He has been a deacon for six years, with the past three dedicated to serving the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.

Title and synopsis of talk: “Bringing the Gospel Behind Bars”
The presentation will focus on preaching the Gospel to the incarcerated.  Some of the topics Dcn. Mattias will touch upon will be appropriate/important topics to include in homilies for Mass or Communion services held in Jails and/or Prisons, Sacraments for the incarcerated, and other programs available for prisoners.  Additionally, he will address safety, ecumenism, anti-Catholic treatment, bureaucracy, re-entry into society, and the death penalty, as well as ministering to the families that have been left behind.

Deacon Anton Nickolai is the Vice President of Institutional Advancement for Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology, and is currently assigned as deacon to Immaculate Conception Parish in Burlington, Wisconsin. He holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois Chicago, and is working toward a Master of Arts in Theology at Sacred Heart.  After practicing law for almost fifteen years, he made the decision to refocus his career working in Church administration, and has since held administrative positions at both the diocesan and parish levels before joining Sacred Heart. Most recently, he served for over two years as Parish Director of four, rural parishes in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, where he would often find himself preaching to all four faith communities within the same weekend. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Suzanne, and together they have been blessed with seven, wonderful children.

Title and synopsis of talk: “From Ambo to Ambo: Preaching in Multi-Parish Assignments”
The talk will focus on on the art of crafting homilies that speak to the spiritual and cultural diversity found in multiple parish assignments. Attendees will learn how to approach varied communities with sensitivity, ensuring that the Gospel message is both relevant and unifying. Strategies will be discussed for addressing parishes with different demographics, cultural backgrounds, and historical contexts while maintaining consistency in messaging and theme.